' â—is probable he expected great Rewards from them At first he had only a Troop in Parker's Regiment but since they knew he had an Estate they quickly put him in a way to spend it by sending him a Commission to Levy a Regiment of Horse Sir John Friend was a Citizen and Brewer of London oblig'd to the late King for an advantageous Place in the Excise However tho he was dissatisfy'd with the Revolution and refus'd to comply with the present Government he seem'd at first unwilling to engage in any Plot or Conspiracy against it The little Sense he had was sufficient to convince him that 't was not his Business to reform the Works of Providence and much less to declare himself an Enemy to his Religion and Country But neither his Judgment nor Conscience was able to resist his Vanity which was strong enough to make him sacrifice both for an empty Complement They show'd him a Letter from Melfort by which it appeard that King James plac'd a great deal of Confidence in him and the poor Man was even ravish'd with joy at his Old Master's Kindness He wrote a Letter to King James and receiv'd so obliging an Answer that to express his Gratitude he resolv'd to spend a good part of his Estate in his Service In pursuance of this Resolution he advanc'd considerable sums of Money upon several occasions which were pay'd in Parchment a sort of Coin that pass'd currantly among Persons of Sir John Friend's Character tho its intrinsic Value was scarce equal to that of the Irish Brass-Money Sir John receiv'd a Commission to be Colonel of Horse and Brice Blair whom the Party employ'd to draw him in was made his Lieutenant-Colonel The First had an Estate and the Second was a Soldier Sir John was to be at the Charge of raising the Men and Blair was to instruct him in the Duties of his new Occupation Besides Ferâ—uson was one of Sir John's particular Friends by whose Agency he endeavor'd to draw in the Presbyterians And he was so confident of the success of that Negotiation that he promâ—s'd to bring a considerable Number of 'em to meet the Late King at his Landing He entertain'd also an intimate Correspondence with Harrison and the Popish Rebels in some Counties with whom he was ready to joyn in the intended Massacre of the Protestants tho after all if we may take his own Word for 't he had the good Fortune to dye a Martyr for the Church and Religion of England Sir J hn Fenwick is a Man of Quality and had a considerable Estate He was a Colonel in the English Troops that were formerly sent to the Assistance of the Dutch and 't is said that he was cither dismâ—st from the Service or quitted it upon some disguâ—â— His disgrace in Holland serv'd to recommend him to the English Court and procur'd him the place of a Licutonaâ—t in the late King's Guâ—rds Since the Revolution he his spâ—r'd neither pains nor cost to promote that Prince's interest and as a Maâ—k of his Zeal and Fidelity undertook to Levy a Regiment of Horse f r his Service Yet tho the very Name he bears is odious to Protestants tho his Relations are Papists and his Brother a Priest and tho he was always distinguish'd by the peculiar confidence which the Faction plac'd in him among all the Informations I have yet had occasion to see there are none that charge him with having any hand in the Conspiracy against His Majâ—sty's Person But either his Confession or Trial will soon unriddle the Mystery and clear all our doubts concerning him These Three Men were each of 'em to Levy a Regiment of Horse and one Tempest of Durham had a Commission to raise one of Dragoons Besides they depended on Parker's Regiment for tho the Colonel was in France there were Commissions actually distributed to raise the Troops These were the Five Regiments of Horse and Dragoons which the Conspirators boasted they had in England They expected also a Body of Horse from Lancashire where a considerable number of Papists were still in a readiness to March to the Rendezvous Sir John Friend entertain'd a Correspondence with 'em and pay'd 'em Subsistence-Money either upon his own account or by Order And 't was by the Assistance of these Imaginary Forces that the Conspirators fancy'd themselves in a Condition to undertake the Conquest of Great Britain Some of em wou'd have perswaded the Faction to try their Fortune with their own Forces without waiting for the Assistance they expected from France They had taken so many Ways to prepare the Dispositions of the People that they concluded 'em to be generally ripe for an Insurrection Besides the King was in Flinders with his Army and the Conspirators were not much afraid of the small Number of standing Forces that were left for the Defence of the Kingdom And as Ten Seditious and Disaffected Persons make a greater Bustle than Ten Thousand Men who live in Quiet so the Jacobites who are scarce a Handful to the Honest Party in the Kingdom make as much noise as all the rest of the Nation The Impunity of their Crimes lessen'd their Remorse for 'em and the Clemency of the Government encourag'd 'em to conspire against it but since 't wou'd have been a difficult Task to bubble a whole Nation or to make 'em Actors in their own Destruction the Design of conquering England by an English Army was rejected as impracticable and the Conspirators found themselves oblig'd to depend upon the Assistance of the French 'T was about the end of May or the beginning of July 1695. that some of the most considerable Persons of the Faction met to deliberate about the present posture of their Affairs The Earl of Aylesbury the Lord Montgomery Son to the Marquess of Powis Sir John Friend Sir William Parkins Charnock Porter Goodman Cook c. were present at a Consult which was held at the Old King 's Head Tavern in Leaden Hall-Street where they agreed to send Charnock with a Message to King James entreating him to procure Eight Thousand Foot a Thousand Horse and a Thousand Dragoons from the French King Charnock accepted the Commission but desir'd to know what number of Forces he might offer in their Names upon which they promis'd to meet King James at the Head of Two Thousand Horse as soon as they shou'd receive the News of his Landing This was but a small Force for so great an Undertaking tho it will appear to be much above the Strength of the Faction if we consider the Ways they took to Levy and Subsist their secret Militia They tamper'd indifferently with all Indigent and Scandalous Persons especially the Officers and Soldiers who had contributed in Ireland to the Oppression of the Protestants or in England to the Subversion of the Laws They gave Money to the poorer Sort for their present Subsistence but kept 'em still in a necessitous Condition that
of which were paid and the rest promis'd Charnock and Harrison were look'd upon by the Court at St. Germains as Persons in whom they might place an Entire Confidence The Project of Assassinating the King was doubtless Communicated to 'em by Parker who is thought to be the first Contriver of it Those who are engag'd in such Barbarous Designs endeavor to find a sort of Justification or Excuse in the Atrocity of their Guilt Every new Crime stretches their Conscience to make room for a Sin of a larger Size and Emboldens 'em both to Contrive and Commit the most Horrible Villanies Nor is it probable that he conceal'd the Design from Porter and Goodman with whom both before and after his Imprisonment he entertain'd an Intimate Correspondence However 't is certain that these Four Men were either the first Contrivers of the Project or at least consulted about the most proper Ways to put it in Execution after it was Communicated to ' em At first they only mention'd the Seizing of the King and the carrying of him to France either because they had no other Intention at that time or because they fancy'd that even the Faintest Sense of Honor and Vertue might make the Conspirators reject the startling Proposal of an Assassination 'T is plain from their Proceedings afterwards that their seeming Moderation on this Occasion was not the effect of any Inclination they had to spare His Majesty's Life That Barbarous Design was propos'd under several and very different Notions according to the Characters of those to whom it was Communicated They usually contented themselves with mentioning the carrying away of the King when they imparted the Project to those in whom they found some unextinguish'd Sparks of Honor but they scrupl'd not to own the Assassination in the broadest Terms to those who they perceiv'd were transported by a brutish and ungovern'd Fury Yet even those who had made the greatest progress in putting off all Humanity cou'd not forbear discovering the inward Horror that rack'd their guilty Consciences Their Minds were so agitated by a Sense of the Enormity of their Crime that they cou'd not fix upon the Way of executing it Sometimes they concluded that the quickest way to bring in King James and restore him to his Crown was by knocking King William on the Head Sometimes they resolv'd to hurry the King away to Rumney-Marsh and from thence to carry him over to France And in some of their Consults 't was determin'd to carry him-alive into France if they cou'd if they cou'd not take him alive then to Assassinate him and pretend it was done by a Random Shot Brice Blair was one of the first to whom they communicated the Design He was a Scotch-Man by Birth and educated a Presbyterian but afterwards turn'd Papist All the Time he had spent in the Service cou'd not procure him a higher Post than that of a Lieutenant and therefore he resolv'd to take a nearer tho a more indirect way to Preferment Yet neither his Religion nor Ambition cou'd make him so much an Enemy to Honor and Virtue as to be a fit Companion for the Conspirators He was never present at those Consults where 't was examin'd whether the Assassination or the Carrying away of the King was the quickest or surest way to bring in King James and restore him to his Crown for when Charnock propos'd the Design to him by the least odious name he rejected it in such a manner that they durst never mention it to him afterwards Not long after Porter and Goodman communicated the Project to Sir George Barelay who was then in England and just ready to go over to France They desir'd him to acquaint King James with their Design that if he appro'd it he might send 'em a Commission with a Pardon included in it It seems Barclay did not send 'em the Commission they expected But some time after Charnock told Goodman that there was an Order to seize the Prince of Orange for so they usually call'd his Majesty Upon this advice a Consult was held where Charnock produc'd one Waugh that was lately come from France who told 'em that he expected a Commission to seize the King This was look'd upon as a sufficient Encouragement to set all their Engines at Work in order to a vigorous prosecution of the Grand Design They held Meeting after Meeting to concert the Methods of executing it In these Consults some of the Conspirators acquainted the rest with the Intelligence they had at Deal where they resolv'd to secure a Vessel To this Effect they sent for a Man who offer'd to furnish 'em with one but dismist him because they cou'd not agree about the Price Then they resum'd their Debates about the Commission but since they had none to produce they broke up without coming to a Conclusion Some days after Charnock Porter and Waugh met at Brentford where they consulted about the Ways of executing the Attempt They view'd the Ground consider'd the Houses where they shou'd place their Men and waited till his Majesty shou'd return from Richmond that they might observe the Guards who accompany'd him and his usual Way of Travelling They continu'd their Meetings during the Months of January February and March 1694 5 and in one of their Consults at the Mitre-Tavern in St. James's Market the Design was communicated to Lariie whom they look'd upon as a Person entirely devoted to the Faction because he had suffer'd a long and tedious Imprisonment upon suspicion of holding Intelligence with the Enemies of the Government He embrac'd the proposal and perhaps was really willing to be engag'd in it tho if we reflect upon the Manner and Circumstances of his Discovery it may be presum'd that he only seem'd to comply with 'em that the Confidence they plac'd in him might enable him to acquaint the Government with the dark Intrigues of its treacherous Enemies The Conspirators were all the while kept in Expectation of a Commission which was retarded by several Accidents Waugh had told King James that the Earl of Arran and the Lord Forbes were willing to be concern'd in the Design to carry away the King but when he attempted to discourse with 'em on that Subject after his return from France they both refus'd to have any thing to do with him 'T was reported among the Conspirators that the News of this Disappointment stop'd the sending of the Commission which was already Sign'd and expected by every post And besides there was one Crosby who went to France and talk'd so freely and particularly of the Design'd Attempt that 't was plain he was better acquainted with the secrets of the Faction than they either imagin'd or desir'd Parker wrote upon this occasion to Porter and Goodman who assur'd him that they had never communicated the Design to Crosby However it seems the Court of St. Germains were so alarm'd by this and other Accidents that they resolv'd to
itself but also of the Method and order of its Execution Yet tho he made a full Discovery of the Time Place and other Circumstances of the Enterprize he peremptorily refus'd to mèntion the names of the Actors which confirm'd the King in his former opinion and made him conclude that 't was a story contriv'd on purpose to fright him with a false Alarm But the very day before the Fatal Blow was to be given God by a seasonable Providence prevented our impending Ruine and deliver'd our King from his own Generous Incredulity It happen'd that on that very day the Earl of Portland went to see the Countess of Essex and contrary to his custom made his visit longer than he design'd By good fortune he call'd to mind that he had promis'd to meet a certain person about a private Affair and tho 't was already time for him to go to Kensington he resolv'd according to his usual exactness in keeping his Word to go first to his Lodgings at Whitehall As soon as he went in he found an unknown person in his Antichamber who desir'd to speak with him about a matter of the highest importance that cou'd not be deferr'd to another time This was a sufficient Argument to obtain what he ask'd especially in such a juncture The Earl made haste to dispatch the person whom he had order'd to wait upon him and immediately admitted the Stranger who accosted him with this surprizing Request My Lord perswade the King to stay at home tomorrow for if he go abroad to Hunt he will be Assassinated Afterwards he gave him a particular account of the Conspiracy with almost thesame Circumstances that had already been discover'd by Fisher He added that his Name was Pendergrass that he was an Irishman and a Catholic that they sent for him out of the Country without acquainting him with the reason that made 'em desirous to see him that afterwards they endeavour'd to engage him in the Design that he was struck with horror at the first proposal and immediately resolv'd to discover it that his Religion was accus'd for authorizing and encouraging such Actions but that for his part he abhorr'd such Principles tho in all other respects he was a true Catholick Thus his Majesty began to receive the just Reward of his Clemency and Moderation for he is and has always been equally remarkable for his stedfast adhering to his own Religion and his Indulgency to those of another Perswasion When he accepted the Crown of Scotland he declar'd that he wou'd not be a Persecntor and all his Actions are so many Illustrious Testimonies of the Sincerity of that Resolution Never any Papist that was willing to live in Peace stood in need of an Intecessor with him He protected 'em in Ireland against the angry Counsels of some over-zealous Protestants He favour'd 'em as much as he cou'd without injuring the rest of his Subjects and treated em upon all occasions with an Indulgency that surpriz'd those who are not acquainted with the Native Goodness of his Temper 'T is true this may perhaps be reckon'd in some measure and Effect of his Complaisance to the Family of Austria with whom he has entertain'd a long and intimate Friendship which has been endear'd by reciprocal Good Offices and is confirm d and made necessary to 'em both by the Interest of their mutual Preservation But tho the Papists were deprov'd of such powerful Intercessors his Virt e alone wou d supply that Defect and sufficiently recommend 'em to his Favor and Protection And we have reason to believe that God is pleas'd with his Mildness and Clemency to the Roman Catholics in general and to the Irish in particular since by a wonderful Providence he made an Irish Papist the Instrument of Saving his Life Pendergrass added that he wou'd have gone straight to Kensington to make the Discovery to the King himself if he had not been afraid of being seen and taken notice of by the Two Orderly Men whom the Conspirators kept in that place and that since the Nature of the Business requir'd all possible Dispatch he thought he cou'd not make his Address to a Person that wou'd be more zealous and careful than his Lordship But tho no means were left unattempted to perswade him to name the Conspirators he resisted with an invincible Constancy all the Arguments that were made use of to that effect declaring that he wou'd never be prevail'd with to injure his Friends or betrâ—y those to whom he had been formerly oblig'd It has been frequently observ'd that the most trivial Accidents have given birth to the most Memorable and Important Events And upon this Occasion it seem'd good to that Supreme and over ruling Providence which guides the World that the Preservation of a Prince in whose Life the Fate of Europe is bound up shou'd depend upon a Visit that was made to the Earl of Portland at Ten a clock at night At his Arrival at Kensington which notwithstanding all the haste he cou'd make was very late he found that the King was already retir'd and that he had given the necessary Orders for his usual Recreation the next morning That Vertuous and Magnanimous Prince was preparing to go to Richmond with as sedate and unconcern'd a Mind as if he had not receiv'd Intelligence of the bloody Design that was to be executed near that place And even the new Confirmation he receiv'd of it cou'd scarce prevail with him to alter his Resolution till he was at last overcome by my Lord Portland's repeated Importunities In the mean time the number of the Discoverers encreas d and the Informations they had given were confirm'd by the concurring Testimony of another of the Conspirators who apply'd himself to Sir William Trumbal one of His Majesty's Princicipal Secretaries of State and convinc'd him of the Reality of the Plot tho he cou'd not acquaint him with the Circumstances of it For that Minister had already receiv'd advice that the French were bringing together a great number of Transport-Ships and making all the necessary Preparations for an extraordinary Design which was kept very Secret tho in all probability the Storm was like to fall upon England So that comparing these Advices concerning a Foreign Invasion with the Account he had receiv'd of the Design against His Majestys Person he found that they confirm'd each other tho he cou'd hardly look upon either of 'em as probable when he consider'd 'em Singly And therefore he made all possible haste to communicate these Discoveries to His Majesty with his usual Zeal and Fidelity About the same time Brigadier Lewson acquainted the King that one Larue had inform'd him of a Design that was on foot to Assassinate His Majesty This last Discoverer gave a very particular and Circumstantial Account of the whole Intrigue but He as well as the rest seem'd obstinately resolv'd to conceal the Names of the Conspirators The King convinc'd by so many Concurring Informations and perceiving that all
the Accounts he had receiv d agreed exactly with one another began to believe the Truth of the Discovery He order'd the Earl of Portland and Sir William Trumbal to make a more particular Enquiry into the Progress and Circumstances of the Design the Former as having receiv d the first Advice of the Conspiracy against His Person and the Latter as having been first acquainted with the Plot against the Nation 'T was a very Difficult Task to manage so nice an Enquiry for tho they had Four Witnesses they cou d not produce one Legal Evidence They cou'd not stifle the Informations they had receiv'd without exposing his Majesty's Life to the brutish Fury of Assassins who wou d soon find another Way to execute their Detestable Project Nor could they publish a Discovery which they cou'd not prove without running the hazard of being charg'd with the first Invention of it And besides the Divulging of these Advices wou'd have encourag'd the Conspirators to carry on their Design and perhaps made 'em hasten the Execution of it least they shou d at last be entirely discover'd and receive the just Reward of their Crimes In the mean time the King resolv'd to expose his Life to all the Dangers that threaten'd it if it cou'd not be secur'd without violating the usual Forms of Justice So that we were like to perish by those very Laws that were contriv'd and establish'd for our Preservation if the Earl of Portland had not found out an Expedient to ward off the Blow without having recourse to any indirect of unwarrantable Stratagem He consider'd that Pendergrass and Larue might be perswaded to discover the whole Mystery if the King himself shou'd speak to em and that even tho they shou'd refuse to yield to His Majesty s Solicitations the Information they were willing to give might serve to Convict the Conspirators if it were deliver'd in the presence of unexceptionable Witnesses who might Depose it at their Trials The King himself cou'd not be an Evidence and therefore 't was necessary that there shou'd be at least Two Witnesses present when he discours'd with 'em He spoke to Pendergrass and Larue separately to the First before the Earl of Portland and the Lord Cutts and to the Second in the Presence of the same Earl and Brigadeer Lewson After he had assur'd 'em that he esteem'd their Persons and was extremely pleas'd with their Proceedings he told 'em That he own'd himself oblig d to 'em for the Care they took to preserve his Life but desir d 'em to consider that the Service they had done him by discovering the Conspiracy cou d be of no use to him so long as they conceal'd the Names of the Conspirators that he cou d neither Punish nor so much as Convict the Criminals that the People wou d never be perswaded to believe that several Persons had discover'd a Conspiracy which they either cou'd not or wou d not justify that on the contrary they wou'd imagine that he had invented a Sham-plot to destroy his Enemies which wou'd render him odious to all the World that so general and Imperfect a Discovery wou'd expose his Honor without Securing his Life c. These Arguments produc d the desir d Effect and conquer'd the obstinacy of the Discoverers They cou'd not resist the awful Eloquence of an injur d Monarch and were at last prevail'd with to make an Atonement for their Guilt by discovering their Fellow-Criminals After his Majesty was acquainted with the Names and Designs of the Conspirators he told the Cabinet Council that he had for some time neglected the Advices he had receiv'd of a Conspiracy against his Person but since by the favourable Providence of God he was fully convinc d of the Truth of it he wou'd not tamely Suffer himself to be assassinated He added that he was inform'd the French were peparing to Invade the Kingdom but that he hop'd God wou'd enable him to frustrate their Designs Not long after he call'd the Great Council and communicated the Discovery to them He receiv'd from both particular Assurances of Fidelity and Affection and immediately issued out a Proclamation requiring all his loving Subjects to apprehend the Conspirators and promising a Reward of a Thousand Pounds for every one that shou d be seiz'd The Parliament was not yet acquainted with the Danger that threaten'd the Nation but assoon as His Majesty was convinc'd of the Reality of the Conspiracy and cou'd produce Witnesses to prove it he went to Westminster on the 24th of February and made the following Speech to both Houses My Lords and Gentlemen I Am come hither this Day upon an extraordinary Occasion which might have prov'd Fatal if it had not been Disappointed by the Singular Mercy and Goodness of God And may now by the Continuance of the same Providence and our own Prudent Endeavonrs be so Improv'd as to become a sufficient Warning to Vs to provide for Our Security against the Pernicious Practices and Attempts of Our Enemies I have receiv'd several Concurring Information of a Design to Assossinate Me and that Our Enemies at the same time are very forward in their Preparations for a sudden Invasion of this Kingdom And have therefore Thought it necessary to lose no Time in Acquainting My Parliament with these Things in which the safety of the Kingdom and the Public Welfare are so nearly Concern'd That I Assure My Self nothing will be Omitted on your Part which may be Thought proper for Our Present or Future Security I have not been Wanting to give the Necessary Orders for the Fleet And I Hope We have such a Strength of Ships and in such a Readiness as will be sufficient to Disappoint the Intentions of our Enemies I have also Dispatch'd Orders for bringing Home such a Number of Our Troops as may Secure Vs from any Attempt Some of the Conspirators against My Person are already in Custody and Care is taken to Apprehend so many of the rest as are Discover'd And such other Orders are given as the present Exigency of Affairs does absolutely Require at this Time for the Public Safety My Lords and Gentlemen Having now Acquainted you with the Danger which hath threaten'd Vs I cannot Donbt of your Readiness and Zeal to do every Thing which you shall judge Proper for Our Common Safety And I perswade My Self We must be all Sensible how necessary it is in Our present Circumstances That all possible Dispatch should be given to the Business before you The Proclamation and His Majesty's Speech publish'd the Conspiracy and made us Sensible of the dreadful Ruine which we had so narrowly escap'd All England was alarm d at the Surprizing News an universal Horror was diffus'd thro the whole Nation we trembl'd to think of the amazing Danger which humane Wisdom cou'd neither have foreseen nor prevented and were scarcely capable of reflecting upon our present Deliverance The Conspiracy was the only Subject both of our Thoughts and Discourse We look